Magnetic door catch with riser

ABSTRACT

A combined door catch and riser unit having a magnet and two exposed pole faces carried by a body having opposed flanges providing a mounting surface. A ramp with an inclined surface projects generally perpendicular to the pole faces and is carried by the body adjacent its mounting surface to raise a door when it engages the catch.

United States Patent Raymond L. Pietsch Flint, Mich.

Sept. 17, 1969 May 25, 1971 The Engineered Products Company Flint, Mich.

lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee MAGNETIC DOOR CATCH WITH RISER 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 49/394, 49/396, 292/251.5 Int. Cl E05c 19/16 Field of Search 49/396, 394; 292/251.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,673,450 6/1928 Gilpin 49/396X 3,453,777 7/1969 Reilly 292/251.5X 3,469,347 9/ 1969 Ringle 49/ 394 Primary ExaminerKenneth Downey AttorneyBarnes, Kisselle, Raisch and Choate ABSTRACT: A combined door catch and riser unit having a magnet and two exposed pole faces carried by a body having opposed flanges providing a mounting surface. A ramp with an inclined surface projects generally perpendicular to the pole v faces and is carried by the body adjacent its mounting surface to raise a door when it engages the catch.

PATENIEU m2 5 I97! INVENTOR. RAYMOND L. PIETSCH ATTORNYS MAGNETIC DOOR CATCH WITH RISER This invention relates to door catches and risers and more particularly to a combined magnetic catch and riser device.

Normal use of a conventional door mounted on hinges in a door frame often causes the door to sag slightly. When the door sags it becomes misaligned so that it does not fit properly in the door opening which makes it more difficult to close the door and provides a poor visual appearance. The misalignment of the door with the frame opening also causes latches and locks having a movable bolt to function improperly or fail to function at all. The development of a magnetic door catch has provided a device which eliminates the problem of ma]- functioning of the bolt-type door catch or lock due to misalignment of the door with respect to the door frame. However, the problems of closing a misaligned door and the poor visual appearance of a misaligned door are still present even when a conventional magnetic catch is used.

Objects of this invention are to provide a combined door riser and magnetic catch which l prevents a door with which it is utilized from sagging and hence eliminates door closing and poor visual appearance problems, (2) is a single unit to facilitate and decrease the cost of installing and replacing door catches and risers, and (3) is of comparatively simple design and economical manufacture and assembly and more easily installed than some prior art door catches and door risers.

These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a door and door frame illustrating one of the positions in which the magnetic catch and door riser device of this invention can be mounted on the door frame.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the lower left-hand corner of a cabinet illustrating a second position in which the magnetic catch and door riser device can be mounted in a frame opening.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 illustrating some of the details of the catch and door riser device and their relationship to the door frame and the edge of the door.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the magnetic catch and riser device of this invention.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the magnetic catch and door riser illustrating the position of the ramp with respect to the pole faces of the device.

In FIGS. 1 and 3 a door is shown mounted in a door opening or door frame 12 by hinges 14 secured to one edge of the door and a jamb 16. A magnetic catch and door riser device designated generally as 18 is positioned adjacent the upper portion of door 10 and is secured by screws 20 to the other jamb 22 of frame 12. A generally vertically extending stop 24 is attached to jamb 22 and positioned to engage the inner face of door 10 to provide a positive stop to limit the extent to which door 10 can be swung into door frame 12. Door 10 has a striker plate 26 of a magnetic material such as steel secured to its inner face and positioned to cooperate with catch 18.

FIG. 2 shows the mounting ofa similar door 10' in an opening or frame 12 of a cabinet which has a door jamb 22 adjacent the free edge of door 10' and a door stop 24. Since in a cabinet it is usually not necessary to have the threshold completely unobstructed, catch 18 is secured by screws 20 to bottom shelf or panel 27 of the cabinet rather than the door jamb as in FIG. 1. Catch 18 is positioned adjacent the bottom of edge door 10 and away from the hinged side edge of door 10'.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, catch and riser device 18 has a main body or housing 28 with opposed extended tabs or mounting flanges 30 lying generally in the same plane and providing a mounting surface for housing 28. Each flange 30 has an elongated slot 32 to receive screws for adjustably securing device 18 to a door frame member. A magnet 33 and poles 34 and 36 each having an exposed face 37 are mounted in a pocket of housing 28. An inclined ramp 38 projects outwardly generally perpendicular to the pole faces at the base of the housing. Ramp 38 has an upwardly inclined surface 40 which extends from the tip of the free end of the ramp and terminates between the pole faces adjacent the housing. Ramp. 39 is an integral portion of a base plate 42 which is received in a generally rectangular recess 44 in the lower portion of housing 28. Baseplate 42'is retained in recess 44 against shoulder 48 by the flared end 46 of a stud 50 formed integrally with housing 28.

In use catch and riser device 18 is mounted in the door opening 12 or 12 so that striker plate 26 or 26 will engage with and be attracted to pole faces 34 and 36 by the magnetic field of magnet 33 and ramp 38 will extend between an edge of the door and the opening when the door is closed. Catch 18 is also positioned so that at least a portion of surface 40 will be in firm engagement with an edgeof the door and the striker plate when the door is shut. When catch 18 is mounted on door jamb 22 as shown in FIG. I, it is positioned so that it is adjacent the top portion of the door so that when the door is closed surface 40 firmly-engages the side edge of the door. This urges the top portion of the door to the right (as viewed in FIG. 1) thereby tending to raise the free side and bottom edges of the door and hence eliminating any tendency for the door to sag. When catch 18 is secured to cabinet bottom shelf or panel 27 in opening 12' as shown in FIG. 2, closing of door 10' brings its bottom edge and the edge of stroker plate 26 into firm engagement with a'portion of surface 40 of the catch. This tends toraise the free side and bottom edges of the door 10 and hence eliminates its tendency to sag.

Iclaim: l

l. A door catch and riser unit for use with a door mounted for opening and closing in a door opening comprising, a housing having a flat mounting face at one side thereof, a magnet in said housing having a pole face projecting through a front operating face of the housing which is perpendicular to said mounting face and a ramp projecting forwardly from said front operating face of the housing, said ramp having a bottom face generally coplanar with said mounting face and having a top face inclined to the front operating face of the housing, said top face of the ramp extending downwardly and forwardly from said front operating face of the housing, said pole face extending upwardly on said front operating face substantially above the top face of the ramp whereby, when said unit is mounted within a door opening with said mounting face against a surface defining the door opening, said ramp is adapted to extend between the door opening and a free edge of the door and said pole face is adapted to magnetically adhere with a striker plate mounted on the door adjacent said free edge thereof.

2. The catch and riser unit of claim 1 wherein said pole face is defined by the end faces of two laterally spaced pole pieces associated with said magnet, said ramp having a lateral dimension substantially less than the corresponding lateral dimension of the housing and said pole pieces being disposed one adjacent each side edge of the ramp.

3. The catch and riser unit of claim 2 in which said mounting face comprises opposed mounting tabs extending generally in the same plane.

4. The catch and riser unit of claim 2 in which said housing includes a recess adjacent said mounting face and said ramp also comprises an integral base plate adapted to engage in said recess of said housing.

5. The catch and riser of claim 4 in which said housing includes a pocket adapted to receive said magnet and said poles such that they are entrapped within said housing by said baseplate.

6. A magnetic catch and riser unit for use with a swinging door for retaining the door and preventing it from sagging when in closed position comprising a nonmagnetic housing having a top face, bottom mounting face lying in a substantially flat plane and a front operating face substantially perpendicular to said mounting face, a magnet assembly in said housing having a pair of pole pieces exposed at said front face and adapted to attract and engage with a door mounted striker plate, said housing having a ramp projecting forwardly from said front face, said ramp having a bottom face generally coplanar with said mounting face and a top face inclined to the plane of the bottom face so that the ramp is of progressively thinner section in a direction toward its free end, the portion of the top face of said ramp adjacent said front face of the housing being disposed at a level substantially below said top face of the housing and said pole pieces extending upwardly at said front face to a level substantially above the top face of said ramp.

7. In combination a frame defining a door opening, a door in said opening and hinged on said frame along a vertical side edge thereof for swinging movement to and from a closed position in said frame, a magnetic catch mounted on said frame adjacent said opening, said catch comprising a nonmagnetic housing having a bottom mounting face lying in a substantially flat plane and a front operating face substantially perpendicular to said mounting face, a magnet assembly in said housing having a pair of pole pieces exposed at said front face of the housing and adapted to attract and engage with a striker plate mounted on the face of the door, said housing having a ramp projecting forwardly from said front face, said ramp having a bottom face generally coplanar with said mounting face and a top face inclined to the plane of the bottom face so that the ramp is of progressively thinner section in a direction toward its free end, said ramp top face being adapted to engage an edge portion of the door when the door is swung to closed position, and means mounting said housing on said frame so that the bottom mounting face is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the door when in closed position, the front operating face is substantially parallel to the plane of the door when in closed position and the ramp top face engages an edge portion of the door when in the closed position to prevent the door from sagging on its hinges.

8. The combination of claim 7 in which said means mount said housing on the vertical side edge of said frame opposed to said side edge along which said door is hinged and adjacent the upper portion thereof to prevent the door from sagging on its hinges.

9. The combination of claim 7 in which said means mounts said housing on the bottom edge of said frame away from said side edge of said frame along which said door is hinged to prevent the door from sagging on its hinges. 

1. A door catch and riser unit for use with a door mounted for opening and closing in a door opening comprising, a housing having a flat mounting face at one side thereof, a magnet in said housing having a pole face projecting through a front operating face of the housing which is perpendicular to said mounting face and a ramp projecting forwardly from said front operating face of the housing, said ramp having a bottom face generally coplanar with said mounting face and having a top face inclined to the front operating face of the housing, said top face of the ramp extending downwardly and forwardly from said front operating face of the housing, said pole face extending upwardly on said front operating face substantially above the top face of the ramp whereby, when said unit is mounted within a door opening with said mounting face against a surface defining the door opening, said ramp is adapted to extend between the door opening and a free edge of the door and said pole face is adapted to magnetically adhere with a striker plate mounted on the door adjacent said free edge thereof.
 2. The catch and riser unit of claim 1 wherein said pole face is defined by the end faces of two laterally spaced pole pieces associated with said magnet, said ramp having a lateral dimension substantially less Than the corresponding lateral dimension of the housing and said pole pieces being disposed one adjacent each side edge of the ramp.
 3. The catch and riser unit of claim 2 in which said mounting face comprises opposed mounting tabs extending generally in the same plane.
 4. The catch and riser unit of claim 2 in which said housing includes a recess adjacent said mounting face and said ramp also comprises an integral base plate adapted to engage in said recess of said housing.
 5. The catch and riser of claim 4 in which said housing includes a pocket adapted to receive said magnet and said poles such that they are entrapped within said housing by said baseplate.
 6. A magnetic catch and riser unit for use with a swinging door for retaining the door and preventing it from sagging when in closed position comprising a nonmagnetic housing having a top face, bottom mounting face lying in a substantially flat plane and a front operating face substantially perpendicular to said mounting face, a magnet assembly in said housing having a pair of pole pieces exposed at said front face and adapted to attract and engage with a door mounted striker plate, said housing having a ramp projecting forwardly from said front face, said ramp having a bottom face generally coplanar with said mounting face and a top face inclined to the plane of the bottom face so that the ramp is of progressively thinner section in a direction toward its free end, the portion of the top face of said ramp adjacent said front face of the housing being disposed at a level substantially below said top face of the housing and said pole pieces extending upwardly at said front face to a level substantially above the top face of said ramp.
 7. In combination a frame defining a door opening, a door in said opening and hinged on said frame along a vertical side edge thereof for swinging movement to and from a closed position in said frame, a magnetic catch mounted on said frame adjacent said opening, said catch comprising a nonmagnetic housing having a bottom mounting face lying in a substantially flat plane and a front operating face substantially perpendicular to said mounting face, a magnet assembly in said housing having a pair of pole pieces exposed at said front face of the housing and adapted to attract and engage with a striker plate mounted on the face of the door, said housing having a ramp projecting forwardly from said front face, said ramp having a bottom face generally coplanar with said mounting face and a top face inclined to the plane of the bottom face so that the ramp is of progressively thinner section in a direction toward its free end, said ramp top face being adapted to engage an edge portion of the door when the door is swung to closed position, and means mounting said housing on said frame so that the bottom mounting face is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the door when in closed position, the front operating face is substantially parallel to the plane of the door when in closed position and the ramp top face engages an edge portion of the door when in the closed position to prevent the door from sagging on its hinges.
 8. The combination of claim 7 in which said means mount said housing on the vertical side edge of said frame opposed to said side edge along which said door is hinged and adjacent the upper portion thereof to prevent the door from sagging on its hinges.
 9. The combination of claim 7 in which said means mounts said housing on the bottom edge of said frame away from said side edge of said frame along which said door is hinged to prevent the door from sagging on its hinges. 